s.w. dial. Also 7–8 spind. [OE. spind fat, = WFris. spyn, OS. spind (MLG. spint), MDu. and Du. spint, OHG. and G. dial. spind, spint, fat, sapwood. In Devon and Cornw. the forms spend, spen are also in use.]
1. Greensward, sward; turf. Also attrib.
1786. Young’s Annals Agric., VII. 60. I would recommend some heaps to be made of the sward or spind, in the nature of denshiring or burnbaiting.
1791. W. H. Marshall, W. England (1796), II. 264. Paring off and subverting, apparently with a Breast Plow, the ‘spine’ or rough sod of an orchard.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 116. Cutting … the spine or green sward to a feather-edge.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 29. These planks subsequently covered with the spine of earth well kept.
1889. Reports Provinces, Devon. (E.D.D.), You can’t grow a good spine under those trees.
2. The rind of pork or other meat; the layer of fat or meat adhering to the skin. Also attrib. in spine-pork (see quot. 1886).
1847. Halliwell, Spine, the hide of an animal; the fat on the surface of a joint of meat.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Spine-pork.… The meat of small pigs, on which the bacon is left with the skin; hence the ‘crackling.’
